When Rei lifted her in his own arms and carried her inside, Sesshomaru let out a sigh of releif. Then his attention focused on the mutilated figure on the tree. he decided he would leave it there until morning. That would be his greatest mistake.
Kaouru was unconsious before Rei got her inside. Sango applied salve to her opened stomach, worried about her adopted neice.
"Shippou, find Kagome. Stay near her, but don't tell her anything." Sango said, taking control as the inu demons sat, in shock at the girl's resiliance. Much as Sango and miroku had done when Inuyasha's intestine were bared after an attack from Sesshomaru.
Shippou nodded and left, turning into the air balloon that was his common mode of transportation now.
"Miroku, check on Hige for me, okay?" Sango said, glancing at her unconsious but otherwise unharmed son.
"He's fine, Sango. Just a few scrapes here and there." Miroku said, staring down at their son.
After an hour, Sango had to kick the others out of the room where she treated Kaouru. They had begun pacing and arguing, distracting her from her delicate task.
The hanyou daughter healed fast, but this wound would need help. Lots of help.
When she came out of the room the next morning, the whole place was pacing or dozing, worried frowns creased their faces. As soon as the door slid closed behind her, the whole room stopped. looking at her, silently asking a question that noone dared to ask for fear of a negative answer.
Finally, Rei asked the fateful question. "Is she going to be alright?" He asked, his eyes filled with tears he wouldn't let spill, even as Inuyasha's face was streaked with tears, even as tears stained Sesshomaru and Hige's faces.
"Well, She's going to be in pain for a while. She'll need at two weeks rest and some major antibiotics, but she'll live." Sango's face broke out in a relived grin.
The room cheered. People she hadn't recognized, demons she did, everyone let out a shout of joy. She silenced them with a hand.
"Be quiet!" she commanded, her voice low but heard. "She needs rest, and she's sleeping. If you want to see her, go in two at a time. Keep quiet. If i hear that any of you have woken her i'll cut off your head and shove it so far up your butt that you wont even know what's up or down." Sango collapsed against the wall next to the door.
Caught by Miroku and Hige, she righted herself slightly, walked slowly through the inn to the nearest vacant room to rest. She knew they would keep the rules she had set.
Kaouru was floating. Her hair around her like a halo of black and white. She felt pain, like someone had reached inside of her and was squeezing her intestine with a clawed hand.
Then the pain was gone. Dull pressure replacing it. A voice came through the darkness. "Kaouru, baby, daddy's here. It's going to be alright. Just rest okay." It was her father.
His voice brought up his image in her mind's eye. Tall, black tuxedo, white hair trailing just past his waist. Golden eyes full of musical laughter, and open arms. Extended for her. He was capable of everything. Everything in the world.
"Get better soon, okay?" Came another voice. THis one she had a face for as well. Hige. Shorter than her, yet taller than most boys. long brownish black hair tied back in a ponytail. Monk-warrior outfit with a boomerang matching his mother's own Hirakotsu.
"Hey, kid. I heard you were hurt so i came by to see if you were okay. don't die on us, I've still got to get my knife back from you, runt." This was Orisu, the ogre like demon had lost fighting bet. She had totally kicked his ass.
There were soo many other voices. Sano, Kohaku, Rin, Rei, Kirisu..
Then they were gone and she wasn't alone.
someone sat with her, beside her. "Hey, Kao. You look bad...i mean your body looks bad...No. i mean..."he sighed. "You know what i mean. you scared me back there. I thought i had lost you. I don't want to lose you. You probably can't hear me. But...If your father says it's okay, will you marry me? You don't have to answer. I just...I'm trying to find a way to ask you. The perfect time and place. But it's soo hard. " Rei's voice trailed off, but he didn't leave. She felt a hand in her own. "Please, don't leave me."
Sesshomaru sat just outside the door, his keen Inu ears picking up on the one sided conversation in the room. Inuyasha had fallen asleep on the other side of the door frame, he had been pacing the whole time, growling at anyone that came near to him.
He opened the door silently, letting himself in. "The best way to ask, is to ask. Inuyasha proposed to Kagome under the god tree, and that is Kaouru's favorite story. Perhaps you could ask her there." He suggested, helping the boy out.
Walking outside, the most recent rain had cleaned the earth of the blood that had stained it. Seshomaru stared around at the place where Kaouru had been mutilated, where Rei killed Naraku.
There wasn't a sign of the struggle, the one that had almost taken his only blood right away. He searched the nearby trees for the mutilated body of their nemisis.
Wait. There was no body.
Sesshomaru twisted around, glancing from tree to tree, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the tree in which the body had been impailed.
The branch lay on the ground below, melted from the trunk. And in place of the body, an acidic stain that still ate at the tree.
"Oh shit."
Yup, i'm being evil and cutting it off there.
naa naa.
Anyways, it's time for the next one. Bubye.
Sometimes i think you're smart. Then reality checks in. -me.
